We rest on the principle that the finest wines are those made with the greatest dedication and care. Above all our imperative is to 'respect the fruit'.

Our Family

THREE GENERATIONS OF WINEMAKING

Our Family

"As custodians of my father and grandfather's vision, our decisions are made with our eyes firmly fixed upon the future and our long-term goal to make wines that will stand the test of time and that the next generation will be proud of."

Mitchell Taylor

Managing Director and Third Generation Winemaker

Following in the footsteps of his father & grandfather, Mitchell oversees all aspects of the business along with playing an important role in crafting the wines.

Justin Taylor

Company Director and Export Manager

Justin's role covers the challenging area of developing new international partnerships & bringing the quality wines produced by the Taylor family to the world.

Clinton Taylor

Company Director and General Manager Winery Operations

Clinton's role encompasses the management of the all-important vineyard and production side of the family business operations in the beautiful Clare Valley.

Bill Taylor

Deputy Chairman

Bill's desire to create exceptional Australian wines that are in keeping with the finest from the 'old world' has formed the cornerstone of the Wakefield philosophy.

Winemaking Team

A family history of great winemaking

Winemaking Team

Mitchell Taylor

Managing Director and Third Generation Winemaker

As part of the third generation of Taylor family winemakers, Mitchell is resolute in his pursuit of perfection when it comes to crafting fine Australian wines.

Adam Eggins

Chief Winemaker

Adam's innovative approach & renowned skill & expertise in the craft of winemaking consistently earns critical acclaim for the wines produced at Wakefield.

Chad Bowman

Winemaker

A true local, Chad was born & bred in the Clare Valley, and growing up surrounded by his family's vineyards, you could say wine is definitely in his blood.

Phillip Reschke

Winemaker

Phil's interest in wine started with his love of science as a child, prompting him to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather & pursue a career in winemaking.

Thomas Darmody

Winemaker

Growing up near Kapunda on the edge of the Barossa Valley, Thomas fell in love with winemaking after an inspirational stint as a cellar hand during vintage 2012.

At Wakefield we understand that green is as important as red and white. As a family owned wine company operating in both rural and urban settings for over 40 years, we're committed to ensuring we operate in a responsible and sustainable manner.

The Taylor family's long-standing association with the Clare Valley begins when as Sydney wine merchants, they partner with the Clare Valley Co-operative to bottle and distribute their own wines under the Chateau Clare label.

Inspired by the great producers of Bordeaux, and with a vision to craft wines that rival the best in the world, the Taylor family begin an exploration across the wine regions of Australia to find the perfect plot of land on which to establish their family estate. On July 20, 1969, their quest brought them to a site by the Wakefield River in South Australia's Clare Valley. And on the same day that Neil Armstrong takes man's first steps onto the moon, Bill Taylor takes his first steps on the soil that will eventually become the family estate.

The planting of Cabernet Sauvignon vines - gifted by the famous Wynn family of Coonawarra - commences on the estate in 1969. Urged on by his experience on the land as a boy, Bill Taylor Snr excavates for a dam to secure a water source and discovers tiny seahorses in the limestone bedrock. A reminder that these ancient soils once lay at the bottom of an ocean over 600 million years ago and adopted as the symbol of the family's wine brand. Why three seahorses? To salute the three generations of Taylors family winemakers.

Construction of the new winery is completed just in time for the first vintage in 1973. The chateau-style façade of the main building is a unique feature.

The first wines are released; the 1973 Taylors Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1973 Taylors Estate Shiraz (Hermitage). The Cabernet Sauvignon wins the Montgomery Trophy at the Adelaide Wine Show for Best Red Wine of the Show.

In order for the business to survive, the family bend to the will of the general public, who still prefer fortified and sweet white wines. Bill Taylor weeps as large sections of the vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon are grafted over to white varieties. However, his original vision remains and they continue to craft red wines to national acclaim.

Having further negative impact on red wine sales, the medical establishment now claim the histamines in red wine are 'damaging', so further grafting of cabernet sauvignon over to white varieties takes place.

After an agreement with their neighbour, the Taylor family purchase an adjacent property and the vineyard expansion commences. The new acquisition is named the 'Promised Land'.

The estate expands significantly with the purchase of another property adjacent to the original vineyard and the estate becomes the largest continuous vineyard in Australia. The vineyard is planted to Shiraz and named 'Loddon'.

After much negotiation, the family purchase the neighbouring historic St Andrews vineyard. They immediately set about the task of recreating history with the plan to launch a Wakefield St Andrews wine.

A 'once in 100 years' weather event strikes the central and east coast regions of Australia from January through to March 2011. Heavy rain fall and high temperatures create conditions that cause widespread red wine grape spoilage. Even though it potentially risks the business, the Taylor family make the critical decision to remain true to their vision and to defend their quality standards. They resolve not to craft any premium red wines from the 2011 vintage.

The World Association of Wine Writer & Journalists ranks Wakefield in the Top 5 Wineries of the World for the third year in a row – 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Wakefield launches a world first innovation in packaging design and wine education – its Optimum Drinking Temperature sensor on back label.

The 2013 St Andrews Shiraz becomes our most awarded wine ever, to date winning 31 Gold medals, a Trophy at Shanghai International Wine Challenge for Best Shiraz and a Trophy at China Wine and Spirits awards for Clare Valley Wine of the year.

Wakefield Wines are recognised as one of the ‘Top 5 Wineries in the world’ by the World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

1950

The Taylor family’s long-standing association with the Clare Valley begins when as Sydney wine merchants, they partner with the Clare Valley Co-operative to bottle and distribute their own wines under the Chateau Clare label.

1969

Inspired by the great producers of Bordeaux, and with a vision to craft wines that rival the best in the world, the Taylor family begin an exploration across the wine regions of Australia to find the perfect plot of land on which to establish their family estate. On July 20, 1969, their quest brought them to a site by the Wakefield River in South Australia’s Clare Valley. And on the same day that Neil Armstrong takes man’s first steps onto the moon, Bill Taylor takes his first steps on the soil that will eventually become the family estate.

The planting of Cabernet Sauvignon vines - gifted by the famous Wynn family of Coonawarra - commences on the estate in 1969. Urged on by his experience on the land as a boy, Bill Taylor Snr excavates for a dam to secure a water source and discovers tiny seahorses in the limestone bedrock. A reminder that these ancient soils once lay at the bottom of an ocean over 600 million years ago and adopted as the symbol of the family’s wine brand. Why three seahorses? To salute the three generations of Taylor family winemakers.

1973

Construction of the new winery is completed just in time for the first vintage in 1973. The chateau-style façade of the main building is a unique feature.

The first wines are released; the 1973 Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1973 Taylors Estate Shiraz (Hermitage). The Cabernet Sauvignon wins the Montgomery Trophy at the Adelaide Wine Show for Best Red Wine of the Show.

In order for the business to survive, the family bend to the will of the general public, who still prefer fortified and sweet white wines. Bill Taylor weeps as large sections of the vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon are grafted over to white varieties. However, his original vision remains and they continue to craft red wines to national acclaim.

1975

The first Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon is released (1973 vintage) along with a 1973 Hermitage (Shiraz). The Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 wins gold at every national wine show entered and the Trophy for Best Red Wine at the Adelaide Wine Show.

1977

1978

The Australian public's preference for fortified and sweet white wines means that Bill Taylor has to graft large sections of the vineyard, originally planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, over to Riesling. Furthermore, the medical establishment now claims that the histamines in red wine are damaging to the health and further grafting across to white varieties is required.

1981

Having further negative impact on red wine sales, the medical establishment now claim the histamines in red wine are ‘damaging’, so further grafting of cabernet sauvignon over to white varieties takes place.

After an agreement with their neighbour, the Taylor family purchase an adjacent property and the vineyard expansion commences. The new acquisition is named the ‘Promised Land’.

1989

1994

The estate expands significantly with the purchase of another property adjacent to the original vineyard and the estate becomes the largest continuous vineyard in Australia. The vineyard is planted to Shiraz and named ‘Loddon’.

1995

After much negotiation, the family purchase the neighbouring historic St Andrews vineyard. They immediately set about the task of recreating history with the plan to launch a Wakefield St Andrews wine.

2000

2001

The St Andrews Shiraz 1998 is awarded the 'Best Shiraz Overall' trophy at the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge.

Wakefield records an outstanding result at the Melbourne Wine show taking 2 trophies and 4 gold medals.

The St Andrews Cabernet 1997 and St Andrews Chardonnay 1998 are awarded the 'Best Red' and 'Best White' at the Sunday Times Wine Club Vintage Festival in the UK– this is the first time a brand has been awarded both trophies.

2011

A ‘once in 100 years’ weather event strikes the central and east coast regions of Australia from January through to March 2011. Heavy rain fall and high temperatures create conditions that cause widespread red wine grape spoilage. Even though it potentially risks the business, the Taylor family make the critical decision to remain true to their vision and to defend their quality standards. They resolve not to craft any premium red wines from the 2011 vintage.

2013 - 2016

The World Association of Wine Writer & Journalists ranks Wakefield in the Top 5 Wineries of the World for the third year in a row – 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Wakefield launches a world first innovation in packaging design and wine education – its Optimum Drinking Temperature sensor on back label.

The 2013 St Andrews Shiraz becomes our most awarded wine ever, to date winning 31 Gold medals, a Trophy at Shanghai International Wine Challenge for Best Shiraz and a Trophy at China Wine and Spirits awards for Clare Valley Wine of the year.

Wakefield Wines are recognised as one of the ‘Top 5 Wineries in the world’ by the World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

We are proud to be founding members of AFFW. Together with the other eleven winemaking families of Australia, we represent a cohesive voice for the mastery, passion and legacy that form the foundations of the Australian wine industry. It is our desire to use this voice to encourage the future of Australian wine, and ensure that the real story of our nation's most iconic wines are always shared.